At the same time that the Green Mountain Boys were rebelling against the king’s decision, the people of the thirteen colonies were rebelling against the English government, represented by the King himself.
After 1770, the English settlers in America (colonists) were becoming angry with England, their mother country. The thirteen American colonies were sick and tired of being ruled by the King of England who was so far away. They felt the laws and taxes placed on them were unfair, so they began a war for freedom, called the RevolutionaryWar. The American colonists wanted to form their own country that was separate from England. They wanted to choose their own leaders and make their own laws. England disagreed with the colonists' wishes and vowed to keep America a part of England.
Many of the early battles and activities of the Revolution took place in the New England area. Boston, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were the "hot spots", but some important events in the Revolution did take place in or around the area of the New Hampshire Grants (remember -Vermont was not a colony or state yet).
In 1775, Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys met again in Bennington to make plans to capture the British fort at Ticonderoga. Fort Ticonderoga had been first built by the French, and formally called Fort Carillon. The British later named it Fort Ticonderoga after they captured it during the French and Indian War. Allen had heard about earlier problems between the colonists and the English not far from the Grants in the towns of Lexington and Concord. He was so excited that he decided to act on his own for the American's cause for liberty (freedom). This seemed to be an impossible task as Fort Ticonderoga was the strongest fort at this time in America. This didn't scare the Green Mountain Boys! Ethan Allen knew the area well and that the British had guns, ammunition, and soldiers at the fort. He wanted to capture it before the British could use these weapons against the Grant’s people.
In the middle of the night on May 9, 1775, eighty-three Green Mountain Boys crossed Lake Champlain to Fort Ticonderoga. They found the British troops fast asleep and were able to capture the fort without firing a single shot! Ethan Allen wrote later that the British commander of the fort, Captain William Delaplace, was standing at the head of the stairs with his pants in his hand as Ethan shouted to him to surrender the fort.
"In whose name?" asked the astonished commander.
"In the name of the great Jehovah and the ContinentalCongress!" cried Ethan in words that still ring down through the years. (The Continental Congress was the group of men who were selected by the different colonies to lead the colonists in their decision making during the Revolution.)
The Green Mountain Boys dislodged the cannons and dragged them all the way to Boston. In 1776, George Washington used those cannons to help drive the British out of Boston.
Later that year, another group of Green Mountain Boys, led by Seth Warner, captured a British fort at Crown Point (right near Fort Ticonderoga). For the time being, Lake Champlain would be safer for the Americans. All the next day most of the Green Mountain Boys celebrated. They had taken more than sixty prisoners and an enormous amount of cannons and ammunition.
On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independencewas signed by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. This document officially broke our ties with England and pledged the colonists to fight for independence. At this time, many of the men in the Grants had grabbed their muskets and gone to Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Independence to help protect their land from a British invasion force that was sailing up Lake Champlain. Fort Independence was a small fort built by the colonists on a rocky point that sticks out into Lake Champlain opposite Fort Ticonderoga.
In the summer of 1776, Benedict Arnold was promoted to Brigadier General and was put in charge of building ships of war for the Americans. The colonists used the timber found in the wilderness along the shores of Lake Champlain to build a fleet of ships to attack the British on the lake. Benedict Arnold led the colonists into the Battle of Valcour Island (near South Hero). The British had seventy vessels with ninety-three guns and seven hundred seamen, while Arnold commanded a fleet of only three schooners, two sloops, three galleys, and eight gondolas. The newly built American ships were badly damaged, but the American colonists that appeared to be t rapped in a bay were able to sneak past the British during the foggy night. The British did catch up to them the following day, General Arnold's efforts during this battle delayed the British invasion along Lake Champlain so much that their general decided to retreat back to Canada instead of advancing up the lake. During these battles, Arnold only lost one ship and none of his men were killed.
Later, in 1777, the British recaptured Fort Ticonderoga. The Americans staying there hurried to escape and fled across the bridge to Mt. Independence and Hubbardton. Unfortunately, the British caught up with this group. A battle was fought and the Green Mountain Boys had to retreat.
Another important battle was the Battle of Bennington. The funny thing is that this battle was really fought in Hoosick, New York (about eight miles from Bennington). Two years into the American Revolution, the British army badly needed supplies, such as horses, wagons, weapons and food. They intended to restock in the town of Bennington, located in the Grants. A British general had heard that many supplies were being stored in Bennington. He ordered his men to go to Bennington, capture the town, and get the supplies. But the Green Mountain Boys led by General Stork and Seth Warner found out about this plan and headed to New York in two groups to stop the British. The first group met the British and began to lose terribly. Just as they were about to retreat, the second group of about 350 Green Mountain Boys arrived and the British fled without getting the supplies. With their victory, the colonists were able to prevent the British army from entering and taking control of what is now Vermont. Although the Battle of Bennington was actually fought on New York soil, Vermonters take credit for its success. One of the world’s largest battle monuments honors the Vermonters who defeated the British that summer day located in Bennington, Vermont. The Battle of Bennington Monument stands 306 feet tall.
Many other battles were fought during the Revolution before the American colonists won their independence from England, but now the "action" headed south away from the New Hampshire Grants. Our role in helping America gain independence was an important one.
Information included from: Uniquely Vermont by Emily Raabe Vermont by Learner Publications Company
At the same time that the Green Mountain Boys were rebelling against the king’s decision, the people of the thirteen colonies were rebelling against the English government, represented by the King himself.
After 1770, the English settlers in America (colonists) were becoming angry with England, their mother country. The thirteen American colonies were sick and tired of being ruled by the King of England who was so far away. They felt the laws and taxes placed on them were unfair, so they began a war for freedom, called the Revolutionary War. The American colonists wanted to form their own country that was separate from England. They wanted to choose their own leaders and make their own laws. England disagreed with the colonists' wishes and vowed to keep America a part of England.
Many of the early battles and activities of the Revolution took place in the New England area. Boston, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were the "hot spots", but some important events in the Revolution did take place in or around the area of the New Hampshire Grants (remember -Vermont was not a colony or state yet).
In 1775, Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys met again in Bennington to make plans to capture the British fort at Ticonderoga. Fort Ticonderoga had been first built by the French, and formally called Fort Carillon. The British later named it Fort Ticonderoga after they captured it during the French and Indian War. Allen had heard about earlier problems between the colonists and the English not far from the Grants in the towns of Lexington and Concord. He was so excited that he decided to act on his own for the American's cause for liberty (freedom). This seemed to be an impossible task as Fort Ticonderoga was the strongest fort at this time in America. This didn't scare the Green Mountain Boys! Ethan Allen knew the area well and that the British had guns, ammunition, and soldiers at the fort. He wanted to capture it before the British could use these weapons against the Grant’s people.
In the middle of the night on May 9, 1775, eighty-three Green Mountain Boys crossed Lake Champlain to Fort Ticonderoga. They found the British troops fast asleep and were able to capture the fort without firing a single shot! Ethan Allen wrote later that the British commander of the fort, Captain William Delaplace, was standing at the head of the stairs with his pants in his hand as Ethan shouted to him to surrender the fort.
"In whose name?" asked the astonished commander.
"In the name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!" cried Ethan in words that still ring down through the years. (The Continental Congress was the group of men who were selected by the different colonies to lead the colonists in their decision making during the Revolution.)
The Green Mountain Boys dislodged the cannons and dragged them all the way to Boston. In 1776, George Washington used those cannons to help drive the British out of Boston.
Later that year, another group of Green Mountain Boys, led by Seth Warner, captured a British fort at Crown Point (right near Fort Ticonderoga). For the time being, Lake Champlain would be safer for the Americans. All the next day most of the Green Mountain Boys celebrated. They had taken more than sixty prisoners and an enormous amount of cannons and ammunition.
On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. This document officially broke our ties with England and pledged the colonists to fight for independence. At this time, many of the men in the Grants had grabbed their muskets and gone to Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Independence to help protect their land from a British invasion force that was sailing up Lake Champlain. Fort Independence was a small fort built by the colonists on a rocky point that sticks out into Lake Champlain opposite Fort Ticonderoga.
In the summer of 1776, Benedict Arnold was promoted to Brigadier General and was put in charge of building ships of war for the Americans. The colonists used the timber found in the wilderness along the shores of Lake Champlain to build a fleet of ships to attack the British on the lake. Benedict Arnold led the colonists into the Battle of Valcour Island (near South Hero). The British had seventy vessels with ninety-three guns and seven hundred seamen, while Arnold commanded a fleet of only three schooners, two sloops, three galleys, and eight gondolas. The newly built American ships were badly damaged, but the American colonists that appeared to be t rapped in a bay were able to sneak past the British during the foggy night. The British did catch up to them the following day, General Arnold's efforts during this battle delayed the British invasion along Lake Champlain so much that their general decided to retreat back to Canada instead of advancing up the lake. During these battles, Arnold only lost one ship and none of his men were killed.
Later, in 1777, the British recaptured Fort Ticonderoga. The Americans staying there hurried to escape and fled across the bridge to Mt. Independence and Hubbardton. Unfortunately, the British caught up with this group. A battle was fought and the Green Mountain Boys had to retreat.
Another important battle was the Battle of Bennington. The funny thing is that this battle was really fought in Hoosick, New York (about eight miles from Bennington). Two years into the American Revolution, the British army badly needed supplies, such as horses, wagons, weapons and food. They intended to restock in the town of Bennington, located in the Grants. A British general had heard that many supplies were being stored in Bennington. He ordered his men to go to Bennington, capture the town, and get the supplies. But the Green Mountain Boys led by General Stork and Seth Warner found out about this plan and headed to New York in two groups to stop the British. The first group met the British and began to lose terribly. Just as they were about to retreat, the second group of about 350 Green Mountain Boys arrived and the British fled without getting the supplies. With their victory, the colonists were able to prevent the British army from entering and taking control of what is now Vermont. Although the Battle of Bennington was actually fought on New York soil, Vermonters take credit for its success. One of the world’s largest battle monuments honors the Vermonters who defeated the British that summer day located in Bennington, Vermont. The Battle of Bennington Monument stands 306 feet tall.
Many other battles were fought during the Revolution before the American colonists won their independence from England, but now the "action" headed south away from the New Hampshire Grants. Our role in helping America gain independence was an important one.
Information included from:
Uniquely Vermont by Emily Raabe
Vermont by Learner Publications Company